The pre-university education sector in Egypt has witnessed significant development in recent years, as the government has adopted an ambitious strategy aimed at improving the quality of education, fostering creativity, and enhancing the field of technical education and training. This strategy seeks to graduate generations of qualified professionals across various specializations to meet labor market demands and compete in international markets.

In light of the importance of technical education and Egypt’s potential to meet the diverse needs of other countries. especially amid technological advancement and digitalization there is a pressing need to continue efforts, exchange expertise, and expand private sector participation.

In this context, Canada Egypt Business Council and the Egyptian Business Council for International Cooperation had the honor to host H.E. Dr. Mohamed Abdelatif; Minister of Education and Technical Education, to discuss the topic “Education in Egypt .. Opportunities and Challenges”.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Motaz Raslan, Chairman of CEBC and ECIC, expressed his appreciation for the efforts made in developing the education system. He stressed that this symposium aims to promote dialogue between the public and private sectors to exchange visions on the future of education in Egypt.

“We are pleased to welcome Minister Mohamed Abdelatif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, and we thank him for accepting our invitation and engaging in this important dialogue,” said Eng. Motaz. He then gave the floor to H.E. Mohamed Abdelatif.

The minister began his speech by emphasizing that, in light of the many challenges facing the educational process in Egypt, the Ministry has managed to overcome four chronic challenges during the current academic year. This was done alongside the development of a comprehensive and integrated vision to reform and enhance education, ensuring the provision of an effective educational environment that meets international standards and responds to the aspirations of Egyptian society.

The minister added that the crisis of student attendance in schools has persisted for many years due to high densities. The percentage of students attending school has not exceeded 9% over the past years, posing a major challenge to the effectiveness of the educational process, especially with class sizes exceeding 200 students. Additionally, there is a significant shortage of teachers, estimated at 469,860 teachers.

In response to these issues, the ministry has developed an ambitious plan to reduce class sizes through various mechanisms and technical solutions. These include utilizing available spaces in schools, implementing extended periods and mobile semesters, and expanding the creation of new classrooms, with plans to build between 10,000 and 15,000 classrooms annually.

Last year, the total number of classrooms was 380,000, and 98,000 new classrooms were created in the current academic year through the solutions implemented by the Ministry. This has resulted in reducing the average class size to less than 50 students, with an educational success rate of 99.9% across schools nationwide.

Regarding the teacher shortage, the minister indicated that several steps have been taken, including prioritizing the use of current school teachers to fill gaps by increasing class sizes for pay, employing retired teachers, and utilizing teachers who have obtained educational qualifications. Additionally, the academic schedule has been adjusted to better distribute teaching resources, providing 33% of the necessary teaching staff, while the presidential initiative aims to appoint 30,000 new teachers annually.

He concluded his speech by mentioning that the ministry is taking concrete steps to improve teachers’ conditions, including providing financial incentives, increasing salaries, and activating the Social Welfare Fund.

Then the floor was then opened for questions from ECIC and CEBC guests, and the minister actively addressed their inquiries.